Konami Insists it Hasn’t Abandoned PC and Consoles

Konami has said that it has not abandoned consoles or PC game development and apologised to fans regarding recent concerns about its plans.

In a letter sent to Polygon, the company outlined a major corporate overhaul and the reasons behind the changes.

"The aim of this reform has been to guarantee that, in the quickly-changing digital entertainment industry where new game designs and platforms constantly alter the market environment, we can accurately observe new customer demands and market trends, and apply our long-established technology and knowhow quickly and effectively with a range of targeted responses," the letter states. "The reorganization process has entailed repositioning our production studios, shifting our game development to a more centralized production division system. Metal Gear Solid 5: Phantom Pain director Hideo Kojima and his team members are hard at work in the new production division system, bringing the game ever closer to completion."

In April, there were rumours that Kojima had departed Konami, while the company cancelled the keenly anticipated Silent Hills, pulled its demo P.T. from the PlayStation Store, and appointed a mobile-focused president, Hideki Hayakawa. 

Konami has now apologised for its unclear communications during this transformation, saying the company "lacked the necessary context and caused unrest within our key stakeholders including our community, members of the press, our partners and our fans.

"We are aware that the conjecture surrounding our recent changes has prompted a great deal of anxiety, for which we apologize," the statement continues.

Hayakawa then explained the company's shift towards a "mobile first" future, saying "Our aim is to continue to build up a comprehensive portfolio of console, arcade, and card game titles for each IP while also making the best possible use of the mobile devices that accompany our customers in their daily life, thus expanding the limits of entertainment and appealing to more and more customers".